Buffalo Bills News - May 30, 2002

Veteran Fina trying to remain with Bills [5:16 AM]D and C reports:
'With a willingness to take a "substantial" pay cut, according to his agent, and to assume a backup role if that's what the coaching staff wants, the veteran offensive tackle is not making it easy for the Buffalo Bills to cut him on Saturday.'

May 29, 2002

Ticket Details of Uniform Unveiling [6:11 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
Tickets for the general public will be available beginning on Friday, May 31 at all Tops Friendly Markets locations and will be limited to four per person…

AFC East - Division of the tight end [4:43 PM]ESPN reports:
The Bills are hoping tight end Jay Riemersma will restructure his contract to avoid being cut because coordinator Kevin Gilbride wants to run a lot of two tight-end sets. After catching only 11 percent of their teams' passes last season, AFC East tight ends likely will have an expanded role this season.
Brief report on tight ends in the AFC East.

Report on Buffalo Bills Booster Club meeting [4:20 PM]TBD reports:
Tom Donahoe, Gregg Williams and John Murphy attended and spoke on upcoming new jersey unveiling of the new uniform jersey. There will be 30,000 tickets available and the stage will be on the field like the Jim Kelly jersey retirement ceremony.
Photos of Donahoe, Williams and Murphy from meeting by Cindy Fox.

Ten Days 'Til Uniform Unveiling [1:10 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
Gates will open on June 8 at 12:30 PM and the event will begin at 1:30 PM. Players will be available afterwards for kids 14 and under and a ticket stub will be required to receive autographs.

Kelly follows Flutie with charity cereal [9:07 AM]AP reports:
'Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and a Pittsburgh marketing company have signed a deal for the creation of "Kelly Krunch," a limited edition cereal expected in Buffalo-area stores in July.'

May 28, 2002

Pat Kirwan - SI favorite off season moves [5:30 PM]CNN/SI reports:
QB Drew Bledsoe -- He gives the Bills instant credibility and puts Buffalo in a position to be this year's Patriots story. For the first time in many years Drew has to compete to save his career and most insiders I spoke with feel he's up to the challenge. He could easily have the kind of effect that Rich Gannon had on the Raiders when he moved west to Oakland back in 1999, and Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is at his best when coaching smart QBs like Bledsoe.

5th Down: Running The Show [5:13 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
If you run down the list of superstars from those Super Bowl teams, you'll find a group of players whose personalities were as memorable as their football ability. Making such a large group of stars feel like they were appreciated was a tricky task. The man who did it (Marv Levy) might be the most unforgettable character of all.

Eleven Days 'Til Uniform Unveiling [2:28 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
The event will feature a live performance by a national recording act, which will be announced at a later date. The Bills Experience will be set up outside the stadium. Fans will also have their first opportunity to purchase new Bills jerseys and other merchandise.

Donahoe faces some tough decisions [8:13 AM]Niagara Falls Reporter reports:
'Figure on at least one, and possibly as many as three, former starters hitting the bricks on Saturday or soon after.'

May 27, 2002

NFLE Europe players on the rise - Curtis Alexander [4:00 PM]The Sporting News reports:
Alexander has accomplished nearly as much as Jamal Robertson on the ground, but he has more total yards from scrimmage because he has been a bigger factor in the passing game. Alexander was a fourth-round draft pick of the Broncos in 1998, but failed to make it through his first training camp. He has generated enough interest that if the Bills waive him, another team with less depth will bring him in for a tryout.

Inside Dish: Fina drawing interest [3:56 PM]The Sporting News reports:
In several situations, impending cap casualties already have been contacted and deals are in the works with potential suitors. For example, OT John Fina's agent already has received several calls from teams considering the "former" Bill.

Fantasy Football, NFL Head Coach style [12:41 AM]CBS Sportsline reports:
Head coaches were asked: Pick one player to build an expansion team around?
Faulk, a defensive coordinator's worst nightmare, garnered just two votes. One came from Bills coach Gregg Williams, a former defensive coordinator who knows a thing or two about trying to contain offensive firepower. "He presents too many match-up problems," said Williams. "And he causes these problems against every defense run in the league."

Bledsoe costing Patriots $6.666 Million in cap space [12:32 AM]Boston Globe reports:
The final cap hits for Bledsoe and Terry Glenn are now on the books. According to the latest NFL documents obtained by the Globe, the Bledsoe cap hit for the Patriots was $6.666 million, and on Glenn it was $945,000. Bledsoe's number includes the $6 million in pro-rated bonus from his newest contract, plus $666,000 pro-rated from his old contract. As for Glenn, it's unclear why there was such a large hit. There was a "secret" settlement between the Patriots and Glenn and it has been kept under wraps by the team and the league. Bledsoe's cap hit will be the second-highest on the roster this season.

May 26, 2002

Some choose country over football [8:42 PM]ESPN reports:
'At a time when it was acceptable for professional athletes to defer military service, Kalsu felt obligated to honor the ROTC pledge that had been as much a part of his life at the University of Oklahoma as had his All-American role on the football team. And so Kalsu left his pregnant wife and young daughter to fulfill what he deemed to be a responsibility he could not ignore.'

Mini-camps are a major deal [6:14 AM]D and C reports:
'In other words, if a coach says jump in the off-season, players today are inclined to ask "How high?" not "How come?"'

May 25, 2002

AFC East race should be thrilling, as usual [6:37 PM]Sporting News - Voice of the Fan reports:
I already thought the Bills would be much better this year after the way they finished up, giving the Dolphins and Patriots fits while also costing the Jets the division. They have a very good receiving corps and a new QB (Drew Bledsoe) who will help turn a mediocre offense into a good one, but the key will be the ground game. Bledsoe needs Travis Henry and Shawn Bryson to take some pressure off him. On defense, the Bills have some good, young talent and should improve in the second year of a new system. Overall, they will be much more competitive but not good enough to secure a wild-card berth.'

Search for cover corners becoming endless [6:36 PM]CBS Sportsline.com reports:
If teams have two good corners as their starters, it does give them a huge edge. Take the Buffalo Bills. They start Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield, two former first-round picks who are on their way to becoming one of the league's best tandems.

May 24, 2002

Video footage of Training Camp - Bledsoe to Moulds [5:25 PM]WKBW reports:
For Bills WR Eric Moulds, this is his 7th season in the NFL. And Drew Bledsoe is the 8th QB he's worked with. The two have been working out their timing during the May "minicamp" at One Bills Drive. View the video for the full story as Bledsoe talks about learning to read body language.

Donahoe/Williams Era Taking Shape [5:11 PM]ESN reports:
The Buffalo Bills starting lineup will look much different than the 24 guys (including the kicker and punter) than started on opening last season. As of the recent mini-camp 14, or possibly 15, of the 24 positions will change from last year's opening day starters. Furthermore, only eight of those positions will be manned by players from the pre-Gregg Williams/Tom Donahoe era.

Chicks on Football: The Comeback Kids [5:09 PM]FOXSports reports:
Drew Bledsoe (QB, Bills): ...Bledsoe will be hooking up with some talented receivers in Eric Moulds, Peerless Price and rookie Josh Reed. We chicks smell another Pro Bowl season in the making!
Eric Moulds (WR, Bills): ...With a re-enthused Bledsoe to sling him the ball, Moulds should be ripping it up once again.

Confusion about under tackles [5:04 PM]Shout! reports:
Lary Bump tries to untangle the confusion about the under tackle position as used by the Bills.
"The nose tackle is shaded on the center's outside shoulder on the weak side. The under tackle is usually to the strong side, on the guard's outside shoulder."

As a representative from Players Inc said, "If his playing ability is anything like his personality, Mike Williams is certain to be a Hall of Famer."

Don't think that pack bustin? isn't for the players. Josh Reed (WR, Buffalo Bills) couldn't get enough. He was digging through boxes for cards of his college teammates. A smile spread across his face when he pulled a Josh Booty Rookie Card.

Prioleau now a free thinker [8:59 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'"I think I'm up to the challenge," Prioleau said after the Bills completed their four-day minicamp Thursday. "I like the competition. It brings the best out of all of us. It makes us continue to push ourselves and work hard. Anybody that turns down a little competition doesn't really want to play."'